2) Unless there is reason to believe that interest in the job is widely different between genders (and that this difference either causes no unhappiness/difference in social status, or is completely unavoidable) it represents a loss of potential happiness.
This isn't rocket science.
> 1) Unless there is reason to believe that the skills involved in doing a good job are widely different between genders, it represents a waste of human talent.
If either gender can be equally skilled at something it doesn't matter if one person is using their skill at nursing and another at coding, the split doesn't have to be the same. All women could do nursing all men could code, where's the waste of talent?
>2) Unless there is reason to believe that interest in the job is widely different between genders (and that this difference either causes no unhappiness/difference in social status, or is completely unavoidable) it represents a loss of potential happiness.
Essentially - "there are women who would be happy if they coded but they don't, so we should encourage more women to code". In our current society there is little pressure from anyone to avoid career paths that don't fit the gender role. You're pushing for equality when it is isn't needed because of "potential happiness" - hey there are men who would enjoy ballet dancing but we don't have enough men doing it so let's spread the word.
Sorry I don't buy any of this equal society crap, let people do what they want.
> In our current society there is little pressure from anyone to avoid career paths that don't fit the gender role.
Tell that to a male nurse.
I guess I'm being arrogant, but you're being willfully blind. It may turn out that it just happens that men prefer some jobs. But given that the gender expectations that we have change over time (http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2011/researcher-reveals-how-...), it deserves extra scrutiny, rather than the assumption that it is natural.